Rheumatoid Arthritis - Remicade (cont.)
The most common side effects of Remicade are upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, cough, rash, back pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, weakness, and fever. (While this is the generally reported list, in my experience, rash and headaches have been the more common side effects. Nevertheless, other side effects can occur and more are listed below.)
Side effects such as low or high blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, rash, itching, fever and chills may occur during or shortly after the infusion. These reactions could indicate an allergy to the drug. They are more common among patients who develop antibodies to Remicade and are less likely to occur in patients who are taking drugs that suppress the immune system, such as methotrexate. Remicade is discontinued if serious reactions occur.
Serious infections have been reported with other drugs that block TNF- alpha and infections have been reported during treatment with Remicade. Therefore, Remicade should not be used in patients with serious infections. Moreover, Remicade treatments should be discontinued if a serious infection develops during treatment.
Last Editorial Review: 6/25/2014